Brave Like That

The first novel with a teacher who does #classroombookaday!! And it's such a good one! I'm in awe of how perfectly the story captures the magic of what daily picture book read alouds can do for a class. ? And Cyrus & Parker have my whole entire heart. ?

I gobbled up this story in a day, but its characters, insights, lessons will stay with me for a long, long time.<br /><br />My heart stayed in my throat for a good share of this book. Haven’t we all felt like Cyrus, wanting to be braver than we think we are? It can require real effort to be brave enough to be true to ourselves and to do what we know is right. It can be difficult to fight against lying to ourselves and to others. And what’s amazing is that sometimes those lies are keeping us from the very people who are our best supports. <br /><br />

<br /><b>“Don’t let anyone tell you where you do or don’t fit.”</b><br /><br />Cyrus Olson, an eleven year old sixth grader, has been surrounded by heroes his entire life. His Dad is a firefighter. But Cyrus isn’t like his dad. Cyrus isn’t run-into-burning-buildings kind of brave. He’s brave in his own way. We all are! Cyrus is a kid who doesn’t want to play football anymore, but can’t seem to find the words to tell his dad. He’s a boy who wants to keep the dog, Parker, he found on the doorstep of the firehouse even though his dad has a no pets rule. And he’s a boy who wants to befriend the new kid at school even though his two best friends think he’s weird. Can Cyrus find a way to be brave and stand up for what he wants? You bet he can! With a lot of support from a full cast of friends, family, firefighters and teachers.<br /><br />I loved the strong stand up for yourself and others message here. It takes a lot of courage to change your path and go against everyone’s expectations for you. We’re all brave in our own way and I think this book says that and so much more.<br /><br />Music and reading play important parts of this story. I loved how Ms. Stoddard used and talked about both. We see records, trombones, oboes, and books. So many shout outs for books. I can’t wait to meet Oliver Button. But Cyrus has trouble reading. He has a hard time remembering and understanding what he reads. So his Grandma shows him a new way of reading. She encourages him to find his own rhythm. His Grandma had to find a new rhythm of her own after her stroke. Grandma’s bravery and strength is a constant source of inspiration for Cyrus---<b>“I think my grandma found out there’s more than one way to say what you mean.”</b> Just like there is more than one way to read and listen. We all need to find our own beat.<br /><br />There was a bit too much lying without an “I’m sorry” for my taste, but overall there’s not much more to complain about. Cyrus is a cutie you want to see happy. I was rooting for him at word one!<br /><br />There’s a lot going on in this little, big hearted book. For me, the big take away was finding your voice. It’s hard speaking up to your friends or telling your dad something you think he doesn’t want to hear. But finding your own brand of bravery is a must in life. Don’t be afraid to go your own way. That’s how we find just where we belong in this world.<br /><br />Recommended. It's an uplifting read with so much to say to young readers.<br />

8/15/22 3.75 stars, the ending will melt your heart. we can all be brave, like show-up-and-be-you-brave.<br />1/24/22 Even though this is a how a boy meets his dog story, it is more of a story about how Cyrus finds his voice and courage to speak up <input type="checkbox" class="spoiler__control" aria-label="The following text has been marked spoiler. Toggle checkbox to reveal or hide." onchange="this.labels[0].setAttribute('aria-hidden', !this.checked);" id="c0908870-fe8c-4d9e-92ba-40996aa6dcdb" /><label aria-hidden="true" class="spoiler" for="c0908870-fe8c-4d9e-92ba-40996aa6dcdb">about wanting a dog, not playing football, standing up for a new student who is teased and faking the ability to read</label> to his Dad, teacher and classmates. <br />It started a little slow and picked up speed. By the time, I was halfway through; I couldn't stop turning the pages to see what how Cyrus would resolve his multiple problems. <br />Set in Northfield, Minnesota, this will be a great read for those who live in that state. They will recognize many of the references to familiar MN names (Malt-O-Meal, Vikings, Jesse James Days). Or give this to those who like realistic fiction like <a href="https://goodreads.com/book/show/32819894.Restart" title="Restart by Gordon Korman" rel="noopener">Restart</a> or other stories about overcoming difficulties.

Cyrus struggles with the expectations placed on him. Adopted as an infant by a firefighter father, he feels like he has to live up to his father's name. Everyone seems to expect him to become a firefighter one day, although Cyrus doesn't feel like he could ever be brave like that, brave like running into a burning building. And his father's football legacy haunts him, too. Ever since he left two-hand-touch behind and started tackle football, Cyrus doesn't want to play, but he doesn't know how to admit that. The other secret he's holding inside is that Cyrus doesn't really know how to read. He can fake it well enough to get by, but stories don't seem to stay in his brain long enough for him to understand what's really going on. <br /><br />When a stray dog shows up at the firehouse on his birthday, Cyrus feels an immediate bond, even though his dad says they are not adopting the dog. It throws a switch in Cyrus. His bond with the dog whom he names Parker is strong and steadfast and he will do anything to keep seeing him, even blowing off football practice and lying to his dad. It's the beginning of his tumultuous first year of middle school and Cyrus is starting to figure out who he truly is... and now he'll see if he's brave enough to stand up and let everyone know. <br /><br />As Cyrus moves into middle school, he will discover strengths that he didn't know he had and explore different ways of being brave. There's being patient with your grandmother who had a stroke and can no longer speak brave. There's standing up to bullies on behalf of someone else brave. There's admitting who you truly are, even if it's not what everyone expects brave. And this moving, character-driven novel explores them all.

I really wasn't expecting to love this so much. I was just looking for a relatively short audiobook to hopefully break my reading slump and this is what I stumbled upon on Libby. <br /><br />Although I don't read too much of it, I think my favorite genre can be described as "weird kids discover it's normal to be weird because weird is subjective and weird is wonderful." <i>Brave Like That</i> has so many touching themes on family, friendship, identity, and self-discovery. It's books like this one that remind me that books geared towards a younger audience aren't just for a younger audience. Middle grade books can exceed the quality of young adult and adult...so if you haven't picked up a middle grade book in awhile, try this one out. <br /><br />I'll definitely be reading <i>Brave Like That</i> again. It's a perfect book for comfort and warmth no matter how you're feeling. Everyone can use some goodness from time to time.

Thank you Edelweiss for providing my ARC. As a teacher, there are so many things I loved about this book: #classroombookaday, kids trying to fit into a mold their parents create, bulling, kids who don’t fit in, and Note and Notice qualities. I know my students are going to love Cyrus, a boy who is abandoned on the steps of a firehouse. Cyrus hates football, but pretends to like it because his dad was a champ in high school. He pretends to read, but he struggles. A new student and a stray puppy changes everything. Cyrus has to find a way to be “Brave Like That”. I cannot wait to share this book with my students. If you are a fan of “Because of Winn Dixie” or “Wonder”, give this book a try.

Amazing book I definitely want to read more from this author.

I loved this one and cannot wait to share! I loved Cyrus and the relationships within the story. Middle grades. Realistic fiction. Family. Friendship. Be brave. Be yourself. And not to forget, #classroombookaday!

4.5 stars. So many things in this book connected with me: classroom book a day, Northfield, Defeat of Jesse James days, the smell of Malt-o-Meal in the air, message that kindness matters, be yourself. I plan on reading this aloud to my next group of fourth graders. My only complaint is that it was written by a Carleton grad and not a St. Olaf grad. No hard feelings Lindsey!